me. i've never quite understood that in the first place. i was on fox news the other day , voting this-- conversation. my friend sean hannity could not wait to get antonio and me into a debate about the politics of the terminology. before we go further, your thoughts on the ap's decision, on the terminology, that words do matter, and the impact of this change potentially on this conversation. >> words matter. of the late-t 1960's, early-1970's. in the african community, latino community began to say, you know what? we are going to define who we are and what terminology is used to describe us.

and i think our community has decided that it is undocumented worker. and that best reflects the nature of who they are. as we saw with the dream kids, the young immigrant children who came to america who are selling in schools and the going to college but don't find a purchase for themselves, they go to school with my daughter. they went to school with our kids. they came to our home and played with their children. we saw them grow up, but now they confront the reality of leading high-school in being undocumented. those kids are american in everything but a piece of paper. all we are waiting for is to get them a piece of paper. the country they love, the language they speak, a culture they here to is the american as american pie. let's understand who these undocumented workers are.

most of them have been here more than 10 years. when you look at immigrant families, 80% of the children are american citizens. to describe them as illegal aliens and their children and citizens of this nation is too ill to scrap them. when society in general says it would do it. i remember talking to and of my hakluyt -- african-american colleagues and said people of color. using it ini was some other sense, but it's important what is and how we use it. that lets america grow. it also lets us have a better conversation because it takes this stigmatization away. >> it may go to the other end of this stage to mary rose wilcox,

a supervisor of the great state of arizona. up 0 foras been ground this conversation about immigration which is now happening in washington. coming see if in the weeks or months, meaningful immigration reform is reached in washington and we'll get deeper into this conversation about what's happening in washington here. would come to you and get a sense of what has happened in arizona for the last few years. what is the state -- what is the state of arizona? >> we do feel very isolated at times, so thank you first of all for having us here. arizona has gone through hell the last five years. it got turned around entirely and immigration became a

defining issue. we have always had an ad in the flow across the border. where a large agricultural state, a large hospitality and tourism state and workers are needed. the ebb and flow across the border has been a natural thing for arizona. many of us are third and fourth generations with relatives in mexico. when 911 occurred and the border shut down, people were trapped in the country. people started to see the growth of hispanic communities and their became a very repressive movement. people were afraid jobs to be taken by people that were not look like what they thought other people in arizona should look like. when the movement got started after 9/11, they said everybody could be a terrorist that comes

from other country, the backlash incredible. s the sheriff, but the governor used the evidence to get ahead politically. nobody said anything because everybody was very afraid that they would lose jobs and political positions. the culture got created that is very repressive. e-verify before the rest of the nation. he looked latino and have a latino last name, all of a sudden, your the one people hesitated because there were questions if there will -- if they were undocumented. situation where

the supreme court has overturned part of it thanks to the aclu and other entities, but we're still living in a very hard society. have very conservative right and the party people who say the border needed to be safer. crime on thelittle border. the illegal immigration problem was one that was blown out of proportion and i have been an elected official for 30 years. i represent a large section of the hispanic community. as the first mexican-american elected to the board of supervisors and the first woman. i have seen the attitudes change with the community. at first there was a lot of pride that we were a diverse state. people took pride in that and then diversity started being not what it but criticized.

then you saw repression coming down. 300,000 undocumented in our community. were born and then you saw the bill, and use of light from the community. we lost about 100,000 people. we lost small mom-and-pop of 10, probably tend, out the stores, probably seven went out of business. you started seeing people get very, very scared. because of the sheriff and the repressive nature of the legislation that went through. >> it is worth reminding people

that this is the same state that did not want to enact the king holiday. i raise that because i regard dr. king as the greatest american this country has ever produced. lots of great americans, but i have an unapologetic low for dr. king. the only weapon he ever used was love. i raise that because what he was up against was the same thing as what black folks are up against and the same thing in your community is up against. we're trying to love these fellow citizens but we are up against a campaign of fear. fear two ort word three times. i want you to give some sense of how effectively that tool of ofr has been used because what keeps this issue frozen in place is the fear.

the government, they ain't stupid and they know how effective the weapon of fear camby. king and others had to confront that fear. talk to me about the palpable fear one feels in the state of arizona. >> we have a share of that goes out and raids. they go into communities that are predominantly hispanic and they will stop you with anything. phoenix, a tempe, channeler, gilbert. it is predominantly hispanic and indian. we have generations of people who live in guadeloupe and the sheriff decided he is going to make a national show, came in, brought a tank in town, came in with 100 squad cars and went through the town and started arresting in stopping everybody

who had a tail like that didn't work or a cracked windshield, anything they could stop people 4. they were looking for undocumented. we heard there was a lot of the undocumented. we call it -- they did not call them that. a column but we doubt don't call them. oneent fear through every and maricopa county and the state of marriage -- state of arizona. people were afraid to drive, people who were citizens but their parents were not documented because they were being persecuted. getting raids started worse and worse. we started having people go out and document them and take pictures of what was happening. those people started to get arrested and being held for questioning. it was almost like living in nazi germany. that is what all of us compare it to.

illegal is illegal and they shouldn't be here. these people had been here for generations. we had a rate occur as early as three weeks ago. a company that had hired people over the years, many of them undocumented, was rated by the sheriff. a man who had been working there for eight years -- for 18 years. he had a perfect work record, no criminal background was arrested, broadened and deported. his family is devastated. half of his children are u.s. citizens. the other half are dreamers who are brought here early will become u.s. citizens eventually and that is what is happening. they're tearing families apart and criminalizing all undocumented in our state. a lot of rich culture. a lot of people come up from mexico. we have corn vendors in our this iny and you can do

peace anymore. everyone is so afraid that everyone will be checked. i have -- the diamondbacks are in arizona. i take about 2000 children a year to a diamondbacks game. they have to do community service in march them through the ballpark. we had to stop that for years ago because the children were so afraid of the brown shirts and the surest department. that is the fear. the police departments are beside themselves. it's getting a little better now that the supreme court has acted, but the police departments and police chiefs have stood up and said this is enough. we must get immigration reform because we can i get cooperation in parts of the city that need police coverage but everyone is afraid to talk to them because they have no idea. i intimated earlier, i think

part of what gets lost in these conversations, particularly about the issue of immigration, is the humanity. we never seem to focus in on the humanity of these everyday people and of these fellow citizens. my friend antonio gonzalez, he wears a couple of hats. he's the president of the william c. velazquez institute; he's also the president of the southwest voter education project. i reached out to him and said i needed your help in pulling this conversation together. i'm delighted -- let me ask you to give a special round of applause for antonio for helping me pull this gathering together.

[applause] we have these conversations all the time. we don't need tv cameras, c-span and others to be here. just the other day we were talking on the phone about the issue of immigration reform, and we got into this really fascinating conversation paralleling the struggle of the african american community and the latino community. for those of you who know your history, i won't take time here, precious television time, to go through this, but for those who know your history, you know that what happened in my community, in our community, was not that there was one major piece of legislation passed at one time that was the end-all, be-all. and once that passed, it was eutopia fort negro's forever. we're still not at that point.

bring somerted to semblance of respect to black people in the nation. and yet i sense, and antonio and i were in this conversation, that some believe that one major piece of legislation on immigration is going not solve all the problems inside the latino community. sees thisid he process little differently, that it's going to be similar to the struggle in the african-american community. it's going to require legislation over time. to bring the respect to this community that they deserve as fellow citizens. as's talk about your sense we get into washington -- weeds, so to speak, but let's talk macro about how you see this playing itself out over not just the next few weeks, not just the next few months,

but over years, to level the playing field for the latino community. antonio gonzalez: i am hopeful -- i would be remiss if i didn't take a few minutes of my time to wilcox s two supervisor possibly important comments. just to let the public know in arizona, i think you have the most courageous resistance to this repressive wave to these politics because everything she said is true. they do surrounding communities. they do a rescue without cause. they do investigate you. counts bydicted, 44 sheriff joe that luis -- i haves leadership

said for some time that arizona is a dictatorship in the midst of our democracy. resistance. great sb author of the infamous 1070 thrown out by my good friend in the supreme court. that offer was recalled in an election last year by a bipartisan coalition of democrats and republicans. there is a fight back going on. there is a recall effort with rpio. it's not like where you see

massive marches until now. an organizer's adage -- the best organizer of my people is my enemy. by doing may have done this repressive wave of emigrants and people that look like them in arizona is at least a hailstorm of response that is helping people get organized, voting, arizona is now a hotbed of latino voting, and so on so that at the end of the day, we will prevail and will have justice restored to the state. for digressing. my point is -- i am very hopeful that his leadership will be successful in will be successful in washington, d.c., and we'll get a comprehensive reform that is beneficial to our community.

but i'm also mindful of the history of immigration reform. the last immigration reform that we did that had a legalization component, irca, in 1986, also had a repressive component, employer sanctions, that drove immigrants further underground exploitable. of concerned that this kind something good and something bad formula will be combined again in this reform. i hope not, but i draw inspiration from the african american example of the and i think this is a little-known fact civil rights did not come to america in one bill in 1964. bad back that was public accommodations. voting rights came in 1965. london of -- nondiscrimination and employment and housing came in 1972.

voting rights was extended to language minorities in 1975. so literally what you had was an 11-year wave of good bills that addressed the problem. wepoint is this cycle, should get the best deal good deal. if we don't, then we should continue, given that they say we have all this political power, 15 million registered voters, then it'll be 20 million. given that we have all this political power, that this fight may go on, and if we don't get a good bill we should fight, bill. >> i have a few other people want to engage in this conversation. congressman who is here

at the table literally. i would like to get everyone else involved. let mepushed back -- push back on you for the sake of probing more deeply here. after sandy ago, head, after our precious babies were gunned down at school, there may have been three people in america who sought we would ,ot have an assault weapons ban who thought we would not have background checks passed in congress. i'm not even sure the head of the nra at that time believed they could get out of this one as far as legislation being passed on an assault weapons ban and background checks. thehere we are, in chicago,

assault weapons ban did not get to the floor for a vote. as we sit here in chicago, i'm not even sure we're going to get a background check through congress. nobody in the country a few months ago after that tragedy could imagine we would be at this place right now where we would not have even a vote, much less passage of these matters. you see where i am going with this. why should i believe there is in fact going to be meaningful immigration reform that gets passed in the short term? give you my best shot. i think it's hard. any comprehensive bill in american federal politics, that is the hardest thing to do. a comprehensive bill on any subject, there are so many moving pieces, it's always the

hardest thing to do. but if there was ever a moment, this is the moment. have massive voting of the affected constituencies. affected the behavior of both parties. from the democrats, and always gotten good words, but when they had a chance in 2009 and 2010, they did not pull the trigger for immigration reform, and they were chastised a lot along the way for not doing it. then you have the republicans who decided not to be for immigration reform and they were chastised at the balance but -- at the ballot box. internal had conversations. there were republicans inside but you have what seems to be a greater will on behalf of both parties. leadership matters and i would say on the gun-control issue,

the democrats probably overreached. they probably should have taken the bird in hand of background checks first and then reach for the bigger assault weapons ban. it is a tough, divided congress. sometimes you have to attack one way to go the other way. there seems to have been more of betting done. their leader has said no matter what, we will pass the dream act. you have a floor now set that is higher. immigration maybe the issue where the parties go, but on this one, we're going to do a deal. your assessment is the

democrats overreach. politically i get your point, sometimes it's not worth fighting even if you win, i would prefer to see harry reid vote that to a floor for a so people could vote against it. i think they've punk on that issue and i will leave that alone. maybe i shouldn't say that but i think i just did. here is the point. the democratsk overreached on gun-control, what would be the overreach on emigration? >> at this point, i don't believe they are in a danger of overreaching. we don't know the substance yet.

there are intense negotiations going on. there is a deal in the deal is not there. i am in a wait-and-see point of view. we know what we want. we want a fair and functional of theation for as many undocumented population as we can get the votes for. had immigration reform on enforcement for 10 years now. strengthening enforcement at the border, they spend $18 billion a year on immigration enforcement. emigration is down by 70%. the fbi certifies the border is secure. that part of the equation is pretty much done. does need morees workers.

the guest worker agreement between the chamber of commerce and labor that was announced seems to be pretty calibrated. it is small. why do you need a bunch of workers now. it grows with time and it seems to be reasonable. the question is will that be reflected in inflation. >> you have heard antonia suggest that if anything is going to get done on this issue, it's going to require some bipartisanship. a price to be be paid by either or both parties

of something does not get done. give me your read as to whether going to be is bipartisanship forthcoming on this issue. goingon't think there is to be bipartisanship. i think there is bipartisanship. a democratto me is congressman has been a leader on this issue for years there has been torquing for years in a . partisan fashion we have seen what we don't see in congress or washington. we haven't seen as in many years where legislation is emanating out of the legislation and front. they're doing it in a bipartisan withon and looking at that

complete commitment. we've been talking about the fear and the environment in arizona, but it's also a important to point out that two of the people in a gang of eight working on a solution are senators from arizona. that samejump in -- senator from arizona who like and is a nice guy, he has been jekyll and hyde on this issue. john mccain has jumped back and forth on this issue when it serves his political purposes. he hasjohn mccain, but jumped back and this issue. he's been a maverick and he is backed up, so he's on a gang of eight now, but tell me why i should believe the right john mccain at the right time is going to show up. >> i don't agree with your assessment. >> i think the facts bear that out when he ran for president. i saw a different set of facts. size set ofhis

commitments that he thought he couldn't keep. in saw president obama and made some very specific promises that he did not keep. i was on that campaign and i said to john mccain that they want to hear a time line. they want to hear you commit to doing it within a year. he said to me i can't because we can't bring it up until we know it's going to pass. i'm not going to make an empty promise. on the other side, and the promises were made. that. has called them on he's put the cause and the community above party. i think you are judging john mccain way too harshly. why should you believe him now? because he doesn't have to do it. is are running for president ever again. he's doing it because he's a senator from arizona that he cares about his country and he realizes what's going on in this

country and he wants to improve the community. >> let me offer the other side so that you know that i am far beyond fair and balanced on this conversation. i feel the same way about president obama. we can debate this until the cows come home, but john mccain on my read of this has gone back and forth on this issue when it suited his political nature. i like john mccain but he is troubled me and this issue. i like barack obama, but he's done the same thing. antonio did not go there. it's a question of which barack obama are we talking about? are we talking about barack obama that has deported more people than the bush administration did and raise the fee for the citizenship applications. don't get me started. i can go both sides and is because these politicians, that's my point -- they have moved and played this game like

checkers and chess when it suited their interest in politics. it's not just john mccain. it's not -- it's barack obama as well. >> we're talking about the president obama that just one area election with 71% of the latino vote and understand we will not let him off the hook a second time. i think it is a president obama, rahm emanu-ger has el telling him its too hard to do and it's a barack obama who want a legacy and it will be a major point for his legacy to the point where he is stepping back. what would have been overreach is if president obama had done what he thought he was going to do. if he put his own legislation to congress and that here is my bill and you pass it.

to democrats would go over him and say let us do this. we've got it. he has stepped away at the other thing we're seeing on emigration and not any other issue is a white house and congress on both sides, republicans and democrats, actually talking cooperatively. it didn't start happening until a few weeks ago. that is the president obama we're dealing with and he that he isrstands dealing with a much more hispanic community that understands when we are being played. >> here is my final question but. really curious. i take your point -- there's

nothing you said about the timing of this that i disagree with and the urgency i think both sides feel. aboutm still concerned the difference between politics on gun-control which has given us nothing there's nothing that pulls apart strings of americans -- of american heart strings were pulled by the immigrant story and the immigrant struggle, we would have done this a long time ago. clearly the hearts of most americans and politicians have not been tugged even by the humiliation the supervisor shared with us earlier, that many in your community have to endure. that has not been enough to be a game changer. upsets, a nurse and gets the attention of americans like the gunning down of our children. everybody knows the child, everybody has a child. nobody wants to see their

children subjected to that. help me understand how if we couldn't move the needle on gun- control when babies are killed, how you see the deal being moved on this? what's the difference in the politics that makes you think something is absolutely going to happen? >> i'm not sure something is absolutely going to be done. if anyone has seen the emigration struggle through the you can come very close and at the end, a little thing could blow it all up. on immigration, most legislation, particularly something as controversial as immigration, it ain't over until it's over. the difference is, i think both parties at this point

understand that the cost of not doing it is far greater than the cost of doing it. politically, economically, national-security -- i think there has also been a ground work that has been laid for years on emigration that has not been laid on gun-control. on gun-control, what we saw has devastated american public -- devastated the american public wanting action. towas an emotional reaction the most horrific crime we could ever imagine. on immigration, the groundwork has been being laid for months without anybody knowing it. these guys in the house have been meeting for years and they have been doing so quietly. did you know how hard is to get a congressman not to spill a secret? they haven't and haven't for years because that's how committed they are to this

cause. think it's a matter of political will. results was an unavoidable awakening, on both sides i think of the power of we latino vote and also -- had in mitt romney -- i want was not very involved in the campaign and not going to support any republican nominee that speaks about immigration away mitt romney and some of the other candidates did. but mitt romney decided to run a campaign where in my view, when he decided was it's easier to rack up more of the other democratic votes, easier to rack up more white votes that it is to turn some of the hispanic votes and i can still win with

29% or 30% of the latino vote. it ended at peak at 27% and president obama was not only to replicate numbers from 2008, he was able to improve on the turnout of those numbers which the romney campaign was not counting on. but the silver lining i think is the biggest thing president obama has done is win by 71%. candidate romney, the biggest favor he did to immigration reform is talking about self deportation and self deporting himself from the white house. >> i hope you are right, that the right mccain and write a obama show up in this debate. let me get these last two persons involved to honor my commitment. i do want to hear from you because you are at the center of the debate.

he's a professor at the university of berkeley as sociologists and historians. this always seems to work out the way it's supposed to. i don't have to work that hard. you have all talked in your own way about the history of this fight and this struggle for immigration where it is concerned. hence my wanting to make sure a historian was on the panel today to help us properly contextualize this. what are your thoughts on what you have heard so far on this immigration concept. >> i'm not going to say anything about john mccain, but i think the point about political leadership is critical. the patent -- the political leadership not only sets the

policy agenda, it influences the political culture we live in. arizona, then politics of paranoia or fear -- a classic southern gambit by the way, to create bogyman come easily race, race, that your criminal element or communist labor union or whatever -- that is essentially what is going on in arizona where you have a number of opportunistic politicians using the politics of fear and paranoia to gain election and promote their own campaigns. i want to tie in with the gun control thing because it started with this anti-emigrant , and it has become an anti-latino thing in arizona and

i'm sure mr. wilcox can tell us about the effort in light of sandy hook to distribute guns. this is in arizona -- to distribute guns to individuals for self protection. that is part of that politics of fear and paranoia we see getting out of control. the only way to change this is we need courageous political leadership to stand up and take a firm stand and say this is not what our country is about. bluepoints you might hit for us right now as far as the history of the contribution of this particular community that if americans understood better, we have short memories -- are there bullet points about the history of the americans need to

be reminded of as we have this conversation about immigration? in pointingcorrect out that latinos in this country are often seen through the prism of emigration as if we were all immigrants. but let's not forget about the alamo. are we going to forget about the alamo? texas, mexico, arizona -- how did they become part of this country? we have had not just generations, but centuries of presence here. we are in fact american. we along with our native american brothers and sisters are part of this land. that has to be brought up. immigrant analogy is a beautiful analogy because it is one that sparks hope and talks about inclusion and assimilation. but important, however

let's not forget the ugly face of race that has developed over the years and it has developed because of the nation-building process of this country. we did have indian wars, we did have slavery, there was a war with mexico, there was a war with spain. incidents have had repercussions. based develop differences on those kind of physical and critical events. ago -- its like hours was an hour ago that the word environment was used three or four times. the environment he was talking about is the environment that needs to be more friendly to small business in america. the environment by want to talk about is the environment that many of these persons are

talking about, these persons getting citizenship have to navigate every single day. in my research, i discovered that not unlike the african- american community or other poor communities, this issue of environmental racism is real. the conditions these persons have to work in, these conditions these persons have to live in, the conditions they have to navigate every day to live lives of meeting, worth and ,alue is another untold story another issue that doesn't come up and this conversation about why we have to focus on the humanity of these persons. so i want to make sure in this conversation we had adriaan the , i wonder if he

might give me some sense of what the issues are as far as the environment that these persons have to drink and breathe and live every day that america ought to be aware of as we talk about giving these persons the same respect each one of us deserves. >> it is important and i'm glad you tie it back in to that because that's exactly it. the reason we have people dying daily is because many of these people are in the shadows. they can go unaccounted for. they can be ignored. here in the area, they have to deal with walking highestand having the as moderates and the country. same thing happens in los angeles. one out of two latinos as living in an area that does not meet air quality standards today.

the reason it ties in so closely to immigration is because until we have a way to empower people to speak up for themselves, they are going to be continuously discriminated against environmentally as well. whether it is society are having to pay more for health care because you are subject to drug running through your neighborhood constantly and an absolute disregard for the health, you're going to have a disproportionate impact. farmu're talking about workers in the field, you can forget about it. in ofn go outside florida, california, anywhere, people, especially the undocumented, but people who are citizens who are bearing the

brunt of environmental injustice, the only real way to empower them to speak up for themselves is to take away that because that fear is a constant and powerful oppressor. children are learning that fear early on. they're learning they can't breathe and we have a situation to askis in new york, for help and demand change, that leads into economic hardships for families. it ties in that so closely to the latino existence on so many levels because of the fact that if you are undocumented and happen to live in a neighborhood which is at the

core of receiving environmental injustice, you are going to be suffering these hardships much more severely than if you have the same rights as your brothers and sisters. we will talk about this in a timely have today. tell me more because -- don't ask you specifically about the link between poverty and those conditions. >> sadly, that is really where the link lies. when we talk about the wealthy, we talk about the increase in most of this is a grown around factories by means of people wanting to be near work and be close to where the work might be. that may beommunity

low in come and often african- american and latino indre bright in the middle of where the pollution is being generated. theos angeles, you have ports of los angeles bringing in hundreds of billions of dollars in goods. by virtue of the impact the shipping lines, the trucking lines that work there as well, they are impacting those communities immensely. you have an almost vicious cycle, people looking for work close to the work -- if we don't have regulations in place to make sure those communities are being protected from the pollutants being generated by the trucking are shipping, then you are going to have a tremendous impact that often directly impact your pocketbooks. you'll be losing work and pay more and health-care costs.

so it is that the vicious cycle. work try to make sure we with those communities to get some regulations in place. there is no reason we need to be polluting to this level. we can be doing better. way did not plan it this when we did the seating chart. but hector was talking about the regulations that strangle business. you see where i'm going with this. she is talking about the conditions business in a gin that leads to the situation these people have to navigate every day, just the juxtaposition you guys are sitting next to each other. you can pick a fight later in the conversation. asking -- twon black and brown people, latinos for the sake of this conversation, do they just happen to live in the areas or is this benign neglect? much of this is the not in my

backyard syndrome. it's not always the case, but sadly it's often the case where plant are going to cite a and you see a less politically engaged, more politically disenfranchised community which tends to be african-american, latino, and yet i immigrant community, you are going to have less resistance if you want to put your plant their warrior factory there. want to put your factory there. you will have less political influence to come up against if you are going to put it in a community that is disenfranchised vs one that is politically connected or well- to-do. >> let me segue back to these

undocumented workers, no matter where they live and how we get them on a path to citizenship so they have the rights and stature and standing to press back ever more forcefully against these positions. i say back to the congressman in washington. there is a lot that has been said this is you have left at the microphone, not even going to ask a question. just go. for want to say thank you using your stature as a man of communication and debate in america for allowing us to come together. we need more friends and allies like you. [applause] i am happy. i always knew antonio was a good

networker. me andbeen at it with our relationship has been very . portant as we fought in the '90s is to stop nicaraguans from being deported along with salvadorans and guatemalans, we did i get everything we wanted but we got a good start. >> and we did it the year after for the haitians. >> thank you for reminding me of that. i want to say that because it's important because we spoke about martin luther king and how important he was to me and tom gordon cesar chavez was to me -- how important he was to me at how important cesar chavez was to me. part of the problem, and we're not going to rehash the first four years of barack obama, but

part of the debate was i remember my first meeting with him in march of 2009. he met with the hispanic congressional caucus right after the election and we said mr president, you are going to be judged in four years by latinos. we believe primarily not so much on how many foreclosures you stop, all of that will be important. how you have increased the progress, job opportunities, because remember we were hemorrhaging jobs. we told him all that, but we said in the end, it's going to be how you treat the weakest among us, the most vulnerable among us, our emigrants. and i'm so proud to have been a member of a group of people that said that because it was pretty prophetic. think he did not see us within

the context of the civil rights movement. he sought may be of a labor dispute or a thing of the need workers here and this company workers there and we just need to balance it out and figure out how we do that. i don't know, i'm not going to once as his mind, but black people came forward and said i am here, you're going to have to recognize me at the lunch counter and young people and others said i am here and you're going to have to recognize my presence in america, it humanized our immigration debates even for the president of the united states in the end. but at the same time, we need republicans and democrats. there are 500,000 and people today who are free from deportation because the president issued the executive order on the first action.

[applause] and it is nothing to sneeze at. over 250,000 of them live up to real -- live freer today. they can go to arizona and honk the horn right outside the governor's mansion. it's important that we celebrate -- it's a reflection of people and even teaching the president of the united states, a black man, this is what a civil rights movement for us. having said that, we need votes because i remember when they came to the white house and we were trying to pass the newly elected senator from florida, he had a proposal for the dream act. it wasn't anything perfect. it was less than the dream act. when the white house said it's not perfect, it doesn't lead to citizenship. i said you might have a rubio

problem, but as immigrants, we have a deportation problem. legislation stop the deportation, i support the legislation even that come -- even if it comes from a republican sector. we need to embrace a friends and allies who are ready to step forward and not question their motivation but embrace their solidarity in helping people because in the end, this whole butte is not about us, every day, 1400 people are deported. today. oing to happen airs, 10,000,ram 20,000, 30,000 more. it has a crushing, debilitating, devastating affect on our families.

i am working with republicans and i'm happy that antonio said it's going to be complicated usause in the end, all of are going to have to say to ourselves we have to get the best proposals, the greatest good for the greatest number of people done. i stop them from being deported and legalize them, that's the first step, giving them a work permit, a social security card, the right to travel, the right to unionize and organize themselves in a collective bargaining, the right to know that in the morning they're going to be able to come, the number-one crime prosecuted by the federal government is illegal entry into the added states. what do you expect when you deport 1.6 billion people and those ben n -- they're trying to

return to their wives and children and that they face that desert and try to get back to their family. [applause] what you have just said raises a question being hotly debated as to whether or not you can separate those two things -- can you separate path to citizenship from border patrol? >> here's what i hope i think we can do. i had an interesting conversation with congressman ryan. >> paul ryan? >> paul ryan. way, has been a supporter of immigration reform. was senator kennedy, inain and senator flake 2005, it was bipartisan, we did

it together. congressman paul ryan who just ran for vice president of the united states and i know we can all debate his budget, he was an original sponsor of comprehensive immigration reform. isaw him in the gym and this why i am optimistic -- he comes up to me and he knows i did everything i could to get barack obama reelected. i travel around the country and did everything i could to tell latinos to come out and vote for barack obama and i'm glad it. the barack obama i've always been waiting for. i have a great degree of love for him in spite of my criticism for him and i wish him the best and his presidency for this nation. in the house gym and he says to me i saw you

yesterday and you said republicans should do immigration reform to take it off the table so you guys don't run the table with immigration or because it's the right thing to do. he said i want to do it int is why i joined you 2005. this question of citizenship, toomey, one thing we have in catholic ande both our faith is important to us. allow that to exist in america, and i think it's a very powerful that it happened. week, a, this past congressman from alaska said, when i was picking tomatoes with my dad back l.e.d. 1940's we would get 40-50 wetbacks together. here's what i want to say about that --

>> i figured you would. a conservative republican from the south calls me and said, how are you doing? it's good friday, a very solemn day. he said, i called you because i wanted to sam sorry. i'm sorry for those purple comments that were made. i know that they hurt you. i want to apologize for what that man said. was, what asave wonderful gift. i want to reveal a conversation without revealing names. things are changing. republican party on november 6th that said we should take the laws in arizona and replicate them all over. they should just pick up their bags and closed the port.

and if the dream act ever hits my desk, i will veto it. from that to taking responsibility for something really did not think was his, it was the most wonderful easter gift than those on the basis of that kind of confrontation that we're going to create a platform of a comprehensive immigration reform. >> we do see the reaction, the quickness, the harshness of the reaction from republican ofdership to those comments the congressman from alaska. let's say his name. congressman young, if you're watching this on tv, the only time my back gets wet is when i am in my marble bathtub. when john boehner said -- i don't care what he said, he needs to apologize. john cornyn, john mccain, the

list goes on. there were demanding an apology and condemning those words, that was not happening. and least wrap up, there's a level of conversation, right? before they were there, we were here and that was it. back to you, professor. finally do come up with a proposal, it's going to be a proposal and there are going to be some things antonio will not like. there's going to be some things i do not like. you know, in the end, i still remember that undocumented mexicans who said to me, get it done. everyday i fear that i will not be with my children again another day to raise them. get me my papers. even if it is a deal that treats

me poorly, my daughter and my sons will take care of those who treated me miserably, but let me raise them in america. we need to understand who our constituents are. they are the most vulnerable. we need to bring them out of the shadows and give them protection. i think we can get the citizenship thing down. we are working. then we can work on expanding this, i believe. we are so young. we have many good more years to give america in terms of social justice. >> i want to ask two questions about the lands and prism we see this through. -- lens and prism. we are getting old. tell me about the effort he just tagunced to get the price it lowered on the papers.

it has gone up. during the obama administration it went up. tell me very quickly what happened. to the congress in 1993 it was a $90. >> $90 for papers. that signed upon in 1986, it kept going up and up. the congress of the united states decided they will not spend one of taxpayer-funded dollar on helping people become american citizens. they want them to learn english, learn about the constitution, and the always question the loyalty, but they will not spend $1 in helping you take that step. >> what is the cost now? >> $700. dickies family, a couple of kids, you're talking thousands of dollars. "the new yorkt in

times" with my mayor, rahm emmanuel. >> he has come around. >> that we tell you something. he has. he has come around on the issue and he is making chicago one of the friendliest immigrants cities in the nation and it is in no small part of our community and acknowledging his roots. we put an op-ed in "the new york times." if you have a green card and you just want to stay for another 10 years but you do not want to make that commitment, i don't want to marry you, that costs $200 less. make a commitment to america and you want to embrace ittizen, completely, why should that cost more than someone who just wants to keep a temporary relationship?

we think the priorities are not set correctly and we should make it the priority american citizenship which leads to voter registration and taking our growing numbers and a growing power with them. >> i wanted the audience to know and i wanted to know what the number was and how we get it back down. two questions about the lens, the prism. one? thomas, one for david. thomas.uestion for i mentioned for the c-span viewers, there are two panels. the second panel will be moderated with eight other brilliant thought leaders and opinion makers in the latino community. no shortage of them. day,re talking the other

and i think it was fernand know who made the point that perhaps the prism -- fernando who made the point that perhaps the prism we view this through was all wrong. we need to look at it from the other direction, from america are coming from the country's perspective. it is not about doing the immigrant a favor. there are all kinds of arguments to be made from the other side. talk to me about the distinction, the difference between looking at it this way versus the other way. does that make sense? >> absolutely. emigration has always historically been a bipartisan issue. a bipartisann is issue. it is about defining the country. that is the important prison to look at this issue. it is not what it means for those immigrants, that those parents can come home every day

confident they will not be taken the next day and their children left alone. no one can deny how critically important it is. it's equally important to the country that we have an immigration system that serves the country and reflects our values. i think that is why, over the years come a week ago -- when we come to a consensus about changing the system that is true bipartisan cooperation that we reflect the america we are and the america we want to be. we have the opportunity in 201 3. the election itself was a reflection that we need to have a critical immigration policies that reflect our country and what it needs to be. that means ensuring that those millions of people who had been here making contributions and, not just contributions for society, but making their own commitment and investment in our country's future, raising their

families here, investing in small businesses, that we reward those people with the protections that they need to ensure they continue to thrive and contribute to this country and that their children contribute. it also means having a future system of immigration that best reflects the country we want to be. in my view, one issue that has to be discussed is that means eliminating the national origin quota. the fact we have got is why you have not won , when they refer to waiting in line as though it were one line, i would get ready to storm the stage. >> for those who do not understand what it means, explain nation of origin. >> the system gives you a different line to wait in based on the country were coming from. those with a higher demand to emigrate because of proximity,

social connections, they have longer to wait. if your potential immigrant from mexico as opposed to someone from another country, you will be waiting much, much longer. some of these which are 20 years and more. >> is that racist? >> i believe it is. i think this premise would be rejected, but we should no longer do that. these policies are above the america we have been, and that is why i think we are at a critical point where there will be some bipartisan consensus about making critical changes. >> i was curious as to your take on the congressman's comments about the fact that he did not believe when barack obama first ran that he saw this issue as a civil right. but tragic that he did not,

i digress. again, back to the notion of the prism, how does it help us? how does it aid and abet if we see this issue for what it is, what it ought to become a verses with the conversation has been about? >> it means that there's greater common ground about creating the kind of country that we really want to have children and grandchildren growing up in. it's about, and understanding, common values, shared principles. -- is about, and understanding. the we saw in arizona is demonization of an entire community including people who have been here for generations, demonization around the issue of immigration. in 2010, the exact same year theyna passed s.b. 1070, were targeting specifically hispanics in the tucson

district. mexican-american studies is going to be reinstituted in the tucson school district. [applause] totally under the radar. they also passed on their ballot a measure to eliminate affirmative-action in higher education in arizona in 2010. those three things and others are connected. they are all civil rights issues and only one directly relates to emigration, but they all stem from this demographic fear of being ruthlessly and irresponsibly exploited by the governor, the sheriff, and others to engage in a wholesale assault on civil rights. i think it's important when understand today that this is really about civil rights in this country. civil rights, again, is what kind of a country we want to be. that has had ary

lot of struggles to make us more true to the promise of equity, equality for everyone and this toas critical we are closer the principle as anything. >> another question about prison, david. -- the prism. nowme just say this here and reiterate what i said earlier. one reason why i wanted to be a part of this conversation and reached out to antonio as i often feel like we suggest talking about immigration, but the mainstream media has to do a better job, and much better job. on cnn aswe see ana often as we do. it has been important for me to be a part of this talk and because these people, who may

not yet be household names company to be seen, need to be heard. only by hearing that the assumptions we have can be reexamined. it is only that our inventory ideas can be expanded, only by hearing and seeing we can introduce americans to each other, bringing together the best and brightest to help change the image, the perception, that so many people have of this particular community which leads me to my question about image, in thetion, back to ana conversation about the congressman who use the term "what back -- "wetback." what was his name? >> don young. >> it was his perception based upon his history, his age, his

relationship. he had a particular perception. how much of this debate has to do with the prism through which many americans look at the latino community? >> i hope that congressman people whoill tell do not think of their citizens, imagine what they think of latinos? >> they want to see his birth certificate. >> the arizona legislature almost passed a bill for this. then, ariz. puts together ethnic studies. they don't want to learn the history. enough guns. they're trying to build a bigger, better border fence. it is all sort of woven together. ,etting back to the perception

in 1994, california passed a proposition 187, and anti- immigrant bill, and one of the first to set off a whole chain of other bills. arizona followed soon. though itn 187, even was asking teachers and medical personnel to report perspective on documented, but once it passed, empowered all those people -- prospective undocumented. and -- it empowered them to take the law in their own hands. pharmacists were asking for papers. we talked about perception. it gets back to the political leadership point. the perception is influenced by our political leadership. wilson,ime, governor saying raising the flag and

saying we are being inundated, then guess what? you're going to have a significant proportion of the electorate believing it. is shaped and it can be shaped opportunistic plea, unfortunately. opportunistically. >> i want to go to ana. i wonder since your a professor whether or not here on national television you would give us a reading assignment. if there were one or two texts. you have time to think about it. if there were texts you might want to recommend we were on a campus, books you want to recommend that the american should read. when you run for office, the american public likes to know what you were reading. what should we as americans be reading in this critical time of a conversation that could help

us with our ignorance, maybe even our of ignorant -- our arrogance, but more knowledge about what we are up against. you think about that and come back to me later with what is on the syllabus. while we're talking about perception, we are in the media all the time, but there is a role here that madison avenue plays that they are responsible for. the perception of latinos and we know how they're portrayed in movies, often portrayed on television. again, those images are powerful, as you well know, and it seems to me, and the data seems to suggest, that there is an ongoing concern, no different in my community, a concern about how you are portrayed in the media. to what extent does that impact the way that the american

public views this community? unfortunately, we're talking about putting images in silos. unfortunately, oftentimes come minorities are put into that where we are asked about emigration or cuban-americans are asked. one thing i appreciate about cnn is i get asked to talk on any of the political issues. yesterday i was talking on should president obama have said whether harris was the best looking a.g. in the natino. i just want to say your the best looking congressman. we have to battle, whether you are a northeasterner, southerner, african-american, hispanic, asian, every group

passed the battle a stereotyped in being seen as cut from one big costs. when i got to cnn, the people who liked me started sending in sexy latino my accent. the people who did not like me knowingeet about my mexican accent. well, i'm not mexican. not every hispanic in the united states is of hispanic descent. frankly, i did not know i had an accent. everyone in miami talks like me. what accent? [laughter] i think it's very important that people who are in the media tried to do as much as possible as people who do have a public platform, tried to do as much as possible to increase the perception, to vary the perception, show for example that there can be a puerto rican

congressman, a democrat in chicago, and a pr and mormon republican elected in idaho. cuban elected democrat senator from new jersey and a cuban american senator elected in florida and a cuban elected senator in texas and they can be completely different in ideology as, in fact, they are. i think as our leadership and gains ground, for example, my congresswoman she is the chairman of foreign relations. she was talking to heads of state and was often in the media talking about the middle east and issues with international importance. any chance any of us get to be toe to expand that prism share the variation, there's a lot that brings us together, a common heritage, common

traditions, commager values -- common values. we cannot even agree whether we are hispanic or latino. that is a question that affect all of us. i'm very grateful for what you're doing here today because i think -- you know, for too long, our community, the african-american community, there has been a wedge. people have tried to pit us against each other. we can walk and so much further, talks a much stronger comer -- so much higher, if we do it together by holding hands. >> i think you chose the best place. >> i don't know about that. miami is 80 degrees and sunny. >> so is l.a. has a rich tradition

of puerto rican migrants. my mom and dad came here not speaking english in the 1950's fleeing puerto ricans and coming to chicago. they confronted all the same prejudice, bigotry, barriers that any other immigrant, documented or not, it experienced, but there is a large history of a mexican community here. here is an el salvadorian and guatemalans communities here. most of the latinos in his congressional district are also puerto ricans, not true. in their decided on rent -- 11 different occasions to send me. that means we are overcoming some of our own standing barriers that divide ourselves, that we've really are a community setting and going to

vote for someone who represents my interests and whose voice is reflective of the issues i want raised. that is why i say that about chicago. it's a wonderful experience of a melting pot of latinos. >> i'm laughing. i'm glad there is puerto ricans and mexicans getting along. now if i could get the dark skinned and the light skinned negro is to get along, we could maybe get somewhere. issue of foreign policy. yourself, when is the last time you saw a stage full of latinos talking about foreign policy. let's talk about it for a second. is headed to venezuela in a few days and we all know the passing of hugo chavez, there is great conversation and

consideration, concern really, about what happens in the region. there is a broader conversation about u.s. policy in latin america, in central america. there's a lot we could talk about. since we're talking about it, what are you going to venezuela for? the will be part of observation process, invited by the national electoral council for the elections in venezuela one week from tomorrow. i will be visiting polling places and so forth. my organization has a 20-year- old developer program that exposes and latino leaders to other countries. we have done a lot of work in mexico, central american, the caribbean, venezuela, observing

elections, providing technical assistance, and so forth. you're right. it's a very crucial moment. although a hugo chavez was demonized in the united states, in latin america, there's quite a different perspective on not only hugo chavez but his reform process spreading in south and central america. they call it the pink revolution. party that hasst been voted in a democratic process and it has instituted change, redistributed wealth, reclaim the natural resources ,rom transnational corporations voted in a new, progressive constitution. it seems to be an enduring process that started with chavez, spread to brazil, that

rgentina, uruguay, perou, bolivia, ecuador. in essence, we're looking at the beginnings of a european community-type of situation in south america that still has relations with the united states, but much of the trade is among themselves and to other developing countries. will it continue? that's the question. will it reverts back to what many would consider u.s.- nomination of the region. i will give you a report when i get back. put out these handy blue mentioned trading moment ago. go toof u.s. exports

latin america. 40% of exports go to latin america. , a fullhe population 40% in venezuela, argentina, mexico, argentina, they do not trust the u.s. government .. have a healthy distrust of americans for a reason. it has a 150-year history of military intervention or unfair economic relations with many, many latin american countries. the worlddia into view of latin americans. at the same time, there is an admiration for american prosperity, american democracy.

oschizo democracy. there is sort of a schizophrenic you tour the united states. it changes depending on americas leaders. and it has been very mixed toward latin america, even with this a ministration. as been very mixed. we did not stand up when there was a coup in the norris. basically supported the military to of the democratically elected president. the previous administration, in latin america they are considered to be implicit. all cuban situation is not beeno resolved, even though this president committed to doing more. wa so the latin americans want to have a better relationship, but it sits on a history that is a very bittersweet. >> speaking of cuba, hector, the breadth and depth of u.s. business, just chomping at theel bits to get to cuba.

we don't know when that will happen. we don't know when that is. everyone is poised to run intoly cuba and to americanize it as quickly and as aggressively ashu possibly can. you had talked to let u.s. relations with cuba and the coming months and years as we moved past eventually that castro era. >> i don't think it is a question of death.y friends in it is wind. flo i know a lot of my friends inue florida are much closer to this issue.i thinone i think things have been opening a command at think one of the things easy is the second andane third generation of cuban americans that have a very different perspective and opinion of what you is all about now and in the future. by the way, i think a lot of our businesses when they get there,c there will be late becausee coming you know, the europeans of already been in there making. investments in building in doine things.or u i also think that it would be a mistake for us to think thato go

once the situation opens in cuba that we would go in there and bo embraced and everyone there will say, i'm so glad the americansiy are year.ngthey now we can do things that we could never do before becausecu there is also, you know, generations in cuba that haveix had all so that makes perceptioa of what the ad statesme represents. i want to go back to something that was said that think it'sweo critically important. we have to engage let america much, much more than we everthrl have before. the world has changed. yes, there is some history in latin america.el by the way, when i am in americg i tell them that they have to change. they have to become more competitive. a lot of those folks that also harbor ill will to the united states harbor a lot of the willo to their government and things that have been done to them as well.ntry l i mean, a country like mexico ia critically important. we share to thousand miles of border with each other. the second-largest trading partner. they're going to be a major economy in the future. a lot of times we look at mexico

we hear the bad news.ng yes, there is bad news, w especially along the border, the drug war and things of that ince nature, but there is also anll. incredible things that are happening in their as well. the federal reserve bank hase da taken a totally different viewfw of mexico in america. future opportunities, and as the rest of the world is unified, europe is unified, the asian countries of unified. we have to unify in the americas. you know, an ambassador from the united states to mexico, the mexican ambassador for the united states wrote a book of some years ago. i don't know if you are in it. it is called the bear and ane," porcupine. me was describing the relationship between the united states and mexico. and in this book the example was mas lut the united states was the bear.s this big, slumbering animal thah sometimes neglects its own labor to the south, sometimes stepson it unintentionally, as i really

harbor ill well, sometimes make mistakes that it is not even aware is making. porne mexico was the porcupine, the small little animal that is always on p the defensive as paranoid, tried to protect itself and issued its needles. think there is some truth toop much, but i think there is incredible opportunity to do much, much more in that part of the world. we need to for a lot of reasons, for economic future, our security future. so i hope we do that. ca, b >> i want to ask you. let me talk on cuba, being from. miami, an issue that is a veryia close to my heart. i did come here from the corner in 1980.the it kicked up my country by the communists there and i have been raised among so many cuban-americans in miami, the victims of fidel castro anddrenh communism, the political prisoners, the children of those prisoners, the children of people were executed by the 'astro government. so to your question of when wehe are going to go there. we're going to go there whenarl.

it's free. no, we're not going to be thereu late. we will be there right on time. the cuban people are going to know the difference between repe governments that have been composite with a repressive regime that has taken away their human rights and dignities for 54 years and governments that have stood against that. we are not going to cuba, not even at present alma wants to. the embargo is codified. as for some very simpleof traditions. for example, the release of olii political prisoners and the recognition of political parties and the scheduling of fair and e.ansparent elections. that is the kind of country we are. when i try to look the other way when edmonton is had is setting up camps in places like cuba and venezuela and pretend it is not happening. what has happened for far tooblc long in democratic and republican a ministrations, i at tired of hearing political candid it's tell me when they come to miami, detention they'rn

going to pay to t lead america only to put it in the bucket ofo neglect was they get electedof g because to so many other things happen. there is always an excuse to wait doesn't happen. but i think that we cannot 9mile forget that just 90 miles fromae the shores of florida withom people who have lived without freedom for 54 years. >> i wonder. con oftentimes we don't connect these doubts, and i appreciate what actor has to say, but i wonder our relations or lack thereof with a country like of e mexico, neighbor like mexico, ultimately impact the domestic agenda, how that relationship internationally ultimately impact what happens in a state like arizona. cam >> we have had examples. when the governor came out speaking against supportingment 1070, citing an speaking against undocumented people who are in

our state command was a horrible relationship. always had a very big relationship, a trade relationship that has been tremendous.common that debt affected. arizona, are mexico commission practically came to a halt. yet have respect on both sides of the border which was not seen for a very long time. i really think, and then going back a little bit for the comments that were said, we will see immigration reform passthe because of economic events. economics have affected arizona and the rest of the nation not' tremendously. you will see it pass command that is why we are in a position and have the leverage that we have to get the planes in his monday talks. it is a necessary thing foror business to have relationships, so i think we will get it, but we must look at the border also. there has been, i think, misconceptions that the border

is so unsafe, and yet we thro our national guard and federal immigration workers. i'm sorry.order and i to janet the polish town has been a lot of forces of the border. you can ask any merrill. we see is this freight element. i used to see that evidence flow of trade. h that has been stopped. res we have to start it again. we have to have respect first. the other issue is drugs. we have seen an influx of cartels. we have to get ahold of that money that is going in and out of the drug problem in america, as we all know, is writing that whole issue, which is one thing that we have to work together. >> one second. do you take on our so-called drug war seriously or you think it is more of a joke?

>> i never take drug wars as a joke because i have seen theut devastating effects of them.exad i do think sometimes they are exaggerated for politicalse purposes, and that think we have to get to the system because and start there. you know, that goes into a lot of other things. health and education, and thema poverty issue that we see. when we cannot make drugs attractive for people because they have nothing else. >> a see a bunch of fans. david n. thomas and antonio. dot >> you mentioned earlier thatgrs americans don't have a good grasp of history. we now have a good grasp ofp ofo economics for international economics. i mean, we have to understand,ee for example, the relationship between africa and northof american free trade and agreement and the influx of average for mexico. what happened in mexico as adwrn result of nafta? what happened was that midwestern corn is now cheaper than corn grown in mexico.dilace so you have the displacement off

hundreds of thousands of corn growers, small corn growers who are now left without a job, without a livelihood and you ar. basically forced to emigrate.the see, we have to get a better grasp of the implications of our trade policies with countries like mexico. it' >> tom. >> i think it is worth notingf u based on some of these comments reon so much of our foreign policy with relation to cuba, for example car relates to domestic policies in those do countries.ntion to but conversely, we do not pay pe enough attention to how our domestic policies have international implications. emp our drug policy and itsons implications for nations inst latin america is the most, ibe think of prows example, but it goes beyond that. av we have this continue discussion and debate about immigration reform we have tocti recognize that our immigration policies have an effect on thee. countries. when you take a million people, and some of those people aretepo folks who we are reporting prior

to there being convicted. some of them are after serving a sentence that unfortunately has no rehabilitative effect whatsoever. those deportations, thosent removals of particular to somen smaller countries have impact oi those countries that in turn down the line are going to haveu impact on this country becausen. it will, in turn, trigger for their aggression. on the positive side, we havenct some many remittances that comen onom immigrants in this country, sending money back to the families. as an economic impact in those foreign countries.in now, if we recognize that as an international relations issue, we would be doing much more to foster and facilitate those kinds of remittances. instead, what we see as a parts of this anti-immigrant lawmaking, the current proposalh estate and even federal levels g that punished remittances by placing huge impose on them, by making it terribly difficult to engage in that kind of transfer, but if we recognize it as ameicp domestic policy, the policies that we follow, it has impact o other countries.

i think we would end up with a policy that better service our interest in the interest of those other countries. >> tnd tanya and then back to the congressman.he >> when i was going to say is the number one expression of thn point that you are asking, the relationship between our policies and latin b america has to be the 40 year-old drug war. the 40 year-old drug war, well,r in america it is double or. triple our prison population.inf and so instead of spending money on schools we're spending money on prisons.house a ten times aspr much tells a a prisoner has to educate a childd >> many of them brown. >> well, and black. >> of course. >> and then let america it has made, for example, marijuana worth more than gold. so if you do that by creating ae black market and putting military and police forces tost enforce the black market in the

estates, you create a criminal enterprise. that criminal enterprises already fostered one more in colombia and now fostering a war in mexico. of hundreds of thousands of civilians, casualties. billions. who would have thouge ht, right, we go back to civil rights movement. there was always resistance to american intervention, military intervention in latin america. y there is more military intervention in latin americanvs today beyond the drug war that e never was when there was the specter of fighting communists. this is a law of unintended consequences that we haveare created which is why i am jimd. moret about policies, bads bad policies getting infected. here is a bad policy enacted that has never been fixed.it h it just gets worse and worse. as foster prison populations, nonviolent offenders. arms, gangs in our communities. chicago is a good example.

wars in la unamerican and created -- where is all thishe money going to make billions of american dollars spent on the drug war. it is in the cartel pockets. fortunately -- nsa this inher general. sometimes i worry about all beb together and talk about.tag it sounds like we're talkingre about, we are victims are we arr oppressed or we are excluded. and that's true, but the otherfs side of history is that this community is getting empowered.k this community is fighting back. this community itself organizinn , and the reason that you have, you know, a change in the media and more latino voices , and all starts with the reverence in 2006. and that has been enhanced byic the sentence findings in 2010, the expert, the surface of thetu ocean. and that is to root charged with the election results in 2012.rgn all of that is because of people getting organized of fighting rack, winning, and you see that now even with the drug war, in d

places like colorado and marij i washington, marijuana is getting legalized. we will happen in californiain, and that is really the answer. we have to end drug prohibition. >> i want a quick response. promise me.o want to get back you use aou phrase. it is absolutely true about the latino community which makes it somewhat different from thecomp black experience. and that is this beautiful phrase of self organizing.no when you talk but the civil-rights movement you cannot do that without talking aboutma martin luther king jr. he was our leader. there were other leaders, allad kinds of -- made sacrifices and to the point of giving their lives, some known, some not known. i don't mean to suggest by any stretch that dr. king was all that and then summon did everything by himself, but you certainly cannot read history

without regarding human viewing him as the leader of that movement, has the nobel peace prize committee and this person to ever receive it. and yet in this moment i see all this energy, all this enthusiasm , all this fight back and with all these threats to my dulce and latino leaders, which is a beautiful thing to my beautiful thing. i see this of organizing that ir , in fact an happening with everybody doing is our part. a quick word about that notiont. of self organizing.>> a the beautiful thing. >> well, it always happens to us that latinos get put into what a call the black white paradigm. and the rules for those app to communities sort of get applied to latinos, and what i want to suggest to you is that america has to realize that that paradigm was put in, but now.re5 [indiscernible] and latinos are 50 million people. any country in the world with th 50 million people and as the

question who was a leader.wh the answer is, there is not just one. to is the martin luther king and the dutch in a community? let me just say, the path to citizenship, 11 million immigrants, it sam. okay? it sam. we will run in the president. all right? now, the strength of latino politics is that it tends to be organized or is obsolete.z who mobilized -- hugo chavez asked me this. the million marchers in los angeles in 2006. there wasn't an answer or the answer is, you know, 10,000 leaders organized 100 peopleal each. m this horizontal organizationliee makes has resigned. it allows us to resist 1070, and it allows us to resist

de-verify, resist these --to these programs that should take' your heart, but they cannot. because we are very horizontal. we are not vertical. maybe someone will emerge. all right.if >> no pressure.ubio. >> maybe it's rubio. you know? you know what i say? you don't know.differ we'llen see.kings but different from martin luther king's time, that was 15 million people. i we are 50 million. >> that was not a short answer, but a good one. a very good one. adrienne back to the congressman. >> it is not our forte.sayi >> yes. >> going towards actually a little bit of what you were t a saying and the foreign policy, i think another distinction between the latino andco african-american communities is the cultural clashes.ening well, we can look back at what d is happening in latin america de and see the ups and downs, how we need to be more engaged.

we must be more engaged because even within second and third generations, although to a lesser extent, there is a tremendous cultural connection to another friend, to a home country. and a lot of what we see in action here among latinos comes from how people view as in latin america. and what our families are expecting us to do here in latin america or river we may be fromm and so, that actually impacts the way we act. so -- i mean, in my work we see it. if uc -- uc a lot of activismd coming from unamerican ande si actually motivating more activism year simply because oft what they have seen or are seeing in america. and so while some times when yon see are exemplary actions, even above and beyond what is happening here, mexico has thea climate law. ignoring the u.s. at this point is

ignoring still a climate change as awe crisis. say,ed to get there. so we can look it mexico and say, you know what, they can do it. we can do it here. >> i wonder very quickly whether or not you are experiencingm something different and what i am experiencing.ons we have these conversations about environment and sustainability, and board conversations. i am always honored to be a part nv them on a program of our public radio program., invariably uni both live in l.a. to muscle invariably the a environment tends to be as weem. would say in l.a. of white westo side movement, and that happensi to be the case across country. wh a bunch of white folks are leading the environmental movement will we'll know when the water is, you know, bad wewh all drink in a similar.pele d in the air is bad, wait tillack geico white hair and brown and black hair. we all breathe the same bad airl clearly all this has since been in the game. your all stakeholders william

concerned. yet in the african-americanby al community to all of tarhe rows o doing this work, by and large, by and large this notion of -- even the simple stuff, reduced are reused or recycled, much wng less plan a changing global warming. t not something that people have at the top of their agenda for other reasons the you know since you do this work every day. the other concerns that we're r dailyon navigate in ou lives. give me some sense about these issues a catching on in sight of your comedic commanderies thatjt because i'm curious, but also because i sense that if we coule never figure out a way,n congressman, if we could never thatre out a way to really make green jobs work, your community benefits from that. the african american community benefits, so it is not just that we are up against the same evils. is that the same opportunities exist if and when we ever did to a place where these issues are raised hyena on the agenda in your community in mind. >> green jobs are up as well out of poverty, and we need to get there for our communities. and i think that what has the

happened historically is the wab we talked about the environment has been in this, you know,issu ephemeral way that does not make it a day to day shoot.muniit' thereality is for our community it is a dated a shoot. in is our water clean? if anybody has lived in latin america, you're either had water rationing, so you know. it's not always there. it's not always plenty. y you're living in poverty you have the same experience. i think you have a different has approach that has never been the way that environmentalism has s been a burst in the united states, never been approached as this is our day to day. it is a health issue. of is the water we are drinking. is more of something that -- a conservation perspective. however, if you go around and look at when you talk to people and what do you care about the mountains, the water, the air, s abwhcommunities care above and beyond.teommu the mean above what the white community cares about. so i think some of what is a

cultural issue. we have that in our hearts.bo is about how we talk about it. we're talking about the health of ourbo kids, having parts of t neighborhoods, clean water and accessible to everyone.s whenou you have to go buy something that may or may not be equality. as when you get teduce sustainability and having produce our communities.hat we everyone can eat healthy. it becomes an issue that we can all have our heads around, andre that is what we hope to do to really get everybody engaged. j >> just on this point, i think this issue, the environmental issue is one where you see a clear evolution and latino politics. what you said before, it was of the top of our agenda, i think that is before. itino a lasting years receive aare dramatic move in latinopowe politics, and it is because we are more empowered. as latinos have begun to take positions of power, cities and state government, they have been at the forefront of implementing clean policy.

it is no accident that the most important in the history ofti america was latino best lead ins california. l the mayor, when he was a speaker, the tenacious leading climb a lot speaker at of california or deleting -- one ot the leading urban revitalization projects, latino-lead in los angeles. so you have -- it is true. there is a green ito's and latino culture, even though we don't use the words. ec environment differently. ahep we don't see environment as people of the problem. ec environment as people of the core of the solution to the problem. it is because we transition from victims to being empowered, to sustg in power. >> and now you want to speak to sustainability. link e tw just ask a question anod you cad link these things together and i will sit back and listen to you as i love to do.i we will sit back and listened as one utilities things. so speak to the issue of sustainability in whatever way you want to give allegis said. but adriana talked about this

issue being a part because of the health of our children. and so when we are forced to live in these -- in these environmental regions and environmental racism is real for your community and for mine, but there are health consequences.h i raise that because i was d reading the other day, which made my charges dropped.part another step better than i do, but i was reading a particularsd senator who had suggested, maybe even -- something he is proposing as a bill now, but a particular community state senator from the state of alabama-ago i named, senatorha sessions has apparently said that he is concerned that evengt once we get on the other side oh the citizenship fight that thesr persons ought not be allowed access to health care. that concerned me that theat united states senator would dars suggest that once we get on the other side of this he has already put a stake in the

ground, you not going to gete. health care.goin that is a concern to me, numberi one. that is going forward. getver you have this idea going forward at once we get over, no health care for you. opt's go back, though, and we all remember this moment.it and of those on the stagesof us remember better than perhaps the rest of us. remember that famous moment or barack obama, president obama is audience ys to the union speech and the guy in the audience yells out. you lie. remember this?mber ts. you were there. you live. just search. what made him say was the reference that barack obama, president obama made to the fact that health care, this law waslt not going to be readilyilley. available are easily extendible for anybody in this country illegally. if you are here illegally.are he you're not going to get -- it is not available to those who arepd why illegally. the congressman jumps up andis?

says you lied to everyone agreei that? because of all the things that s barack obama said in his speechh this republican congressman had to disagree with, the thing thay really got his eye was the very idea that the president would dare say, you know, this is not going to happen when histh wil congressman says you're lying.o, we know it is and we will fight against it. a few years ago this health care issue already has this color-coded notion connected toa it. that's in the past. now going forward you have a senator who is suggest cing that you should not get health care on the other side of thetalkme citizenship fight. talk to me about health care and where we are headed with regard. to this particular community on this issue.ee >> look, and that is why i am happy to see a doctor ruizru elected to the congress of the united states from california. because he sees things differently. i believe he and other new members of the hispaniccauc congressional caucus that called

for after this last election e e fresh air to the congress of the united states. some much for those of us thatht have gained seniority. like the new blood is there no'' so interested in their committea assignments or whether they're aming to be speak for governor or ambassadorba but about health care for people. so that is going to be a critical fight that we're going ee have as we sit down with a republican colleagues to see how it is we provide that health care. i do remember that moment because, was, number one, on the house floor, but my daughter, jessica, call me up and said, p? did you cause commotion with the president.gal w what would you think that. aealt i figue he said the illegal aliens are going to get anyb. health care.aid it if you that this trough. and i said, no, that wasn't me.w that was a congressman from south carolina her body was vot lying.n ite you know, i voted for obamacare in spite of the fact that he sef aside an important global community of hours.

but i did also understanding that it was the way to pass it. >> to get something done. >> i put that in the context today. t i say that because, i said to myself, i did not stand up and set of against it. renegotiated. ide igured a way to get our community health care centers to provide health care for them in the interim, but i say thatma because sometimes difficult decisions have to be made that are wrong for our public policy that might to a greater good for a greater population of people. i voted for him. a lot. think is important. i have voted for everything barack obama has proposed and the congress of the unitedif states. i would have done whenever he made me do to get it done. number two, barack obama lives t in a congress of the uniteds states.

i think of tomorrow he said i propose some light and dark days of winter, the republicans voted against it. thatth is just the way the in ip congress of the united states is at this particular point. but i also want to try to put this, i want to put this conversation and put it in some kind of context of the civil-rights movement. and the kind of informed about who i am a hell i see things. so, i mean, if there is no voting rights act because i ' don't get to to the chicago city council because the democrats on got together and said it's time to have latinos. we add to soup, had to sue the democratic party of the city of chicago.g demo r every other big democratic wait right here in the 1987 latinos could have seats in the chicago city council. we have to inform our fight notd in terms of republicans and democrats necessarily, although

there are particular alliance is a particular points are important. that is how we got there, by fighting democrats to gain seats because there were there to do that. and it was because there was af black mayor of the city of chicago and washington that, you know what he said, he said, what you going to tell your lawyers to do in federal court today? plead guilty?ryuilt we are guilty of incriminating. so i just want to a -- we need to have a conversation. if people don't -- if people aren't lands, churches areogs burned and i people are brutalized o and attackedrd by dogs in ordero get us civil-rights and voting rights, i don't have a voice int the congress of the united states. and mayor washington doesn't have the ability to say, we'reor guilty. so we should inform our fight. this is a continuation.ngress

i guess what i say is, when ite, joined the congress of the united states had not join the e congress of the united states to become speaker of the house to wantme a senator or become a governor. i joined the congress of the nest is the is i said to my want to make some of his lreife bettd remember my mom and my dad. remember when it was like in the '0's. segregated chicago.them. there was nobody here to raise their voice. fought and said, you know what, somebody a fought and died to give me a voice. i think i am not going to waste an opportunity in the congress of the united states. i think that we should try too inform our political leaders in terms of -- that is the best the guy. you know, he could be this. just could be that. i can't you just be somebody -- and i know. i hope he doesn't. concerned. the congress of the united states. this spreading of help. making sure that everyone is healthy. health.

i want to put that. that is what makes it. and another thing i want to say before we finished and we leavei this. yes, we have important friends and important allies. t every member of the black caucuo voted for the dream match when it was proposed in 2010.re passed in the house of representatives. in spite of the fact that unemployment tiff was higher and unemployment in the community dv and the devastation of thecono recession was there in spite of the fact that there were those who wanted. one group against the other. listed does. >> want to move on. and the task you a quick question.out. you give us something to think about. i am noodling and wrestling wito it. this notion of horizontal vca leaders in your community verses vertical.. you're fine, and just down notwithstanding. i see the advantages. i clearly see the advantages of

horizontal leaders. there are also challenges. now, the occupy movement has the same criticism levelled against it. they and were strong but they went. many people believe that astheya strong as they were they still went because they had horizontal structure. people keep asking, what do you want. you as a spokesperson. do we sit and talk to? do we negotiate with.r vert. so there are advantages, but there are disadvantages.ts might assess and offer your thoughts on antonio's remark on horizontal courses vertical and your community. >> number one, i have never seea community-based organizations ao a threat or a competitor, but as an ally and a friend in thisepth fight. there criticisms i accept as m criticisms that hopefully will make me a better congressman and

a better public servant.i en number one. tngs not a threat because i understand one thingfundenta fundamentally. let's go to the sole rightsil rs movement. just months before the passage of the civil rights legislationh there was a march on washington d.c.i remember martin luther kig coming to chicago in 1968. even as a young man, i remember in june, the unfortunate riots in the porter rican community anduse of police brutality the porter rican community, i remember him coming a couple of months later. i remember how they are all tied together, our fight and our struggle, i don't look at the but from as any thing a historical point of view.

i and others like us that our congress people are going to vote on the legislation needed more than ever for the consistent and persistent demand to be raised to a level for congress to act. that horizontal structure does not bother you? >> i think it helps facilitate success of our community. >> there was a powerful statement about what it took in this country to get the civil rights law passed and the voting rights law passed. the dogs and of water hoses and the jail cells and listings. -- chicago understands this struggle better than anybody. the question i was thinking is

if it took all of that in after hearing what supervisor wilcox said why does it have to take all of that now? why does it have to take all of this humanity, degradation and devastation? does it really have to take all of that now? >> i'm afraid so. change often times it comes through conflict. it comes through a clash of perspectives. i'm thinking of arizona, where we have an older generation who just realize arizona is next door and they are reacting to it. int's going to happen arizona, california or texas?

even if we don't have all of tose events, change is going happen because we have the under generation coming up. they look at president obama very differently. white paradigm has them s shift. i think that is happening. we don't need to have these dramatic upheavals to have changed. i think the paradigm has already shifted and there is a new contract already being built. let me come back before i go -- any issue of education brown is in the mx.

longer america puff favorite minority, and i am ok with that. my feelings are hurt. we least that a black president out of it. this is your time. the bad is it is with that you surrounded, the good news is we come in peace. >> i like that. >> speaking of coming in peace, there is conflict in communities and cities in the community -- black and brown trying to peacefully coexist. when community moving in, one community moving out. they're living on top of each other in dense areas in chicago -- the wonder if you

have any thoughts on the years to come and how black folks and brown folks, how are we going to do this dance over the coming years? >> there is a competition for scarce resources. think the congressman pointed this out earlier -- there are politicians that try to pit one community against the other and try to play the blame game. at going to be the competition. we see this -- there is an announcement of 200 jobs, you -- do you think there is solidarity? happened at that community level. the reason it has not percolated

up is because of the political leadership. the black and brown leadership understand. we have to work together here. we are united. >> there are two ways of seeing it. either the glass is half-empty or the glass is half full. theke to focus on cooperation between african- american organizations like the naacp and urban league and i la razaen the head of joined john lewis and retrace the steps back in alabama. i've seen african-american congress people join hands with

republican cuban-americans in asking for the freedom of cuba. i think there are many joint projects and we're getting used to being allies and not just being competitors. we are being smarter. two speakalized that louder than one. if you have ever been to a black and brown party, it doesn't get much more fun than that. >> we have the man who pushed the martin luther king holiday in arizona. came and knocked on our door and said we need to come together. we have formed a black-brown coalition. it's two years old and is the strongest thing anyone has ever seen. what has gone on in arizona made people come together.

the civil rights violation, the african-american community knew how to battle more than we did and we are part of a very strong coalition and it is a lot of fun. when you go into an office, they look at you, a look at patrick stewart and say what have we done? it's good power. my favorite event in washington may be the black caucus gala. great, the food is great, the music is great, the people are great. it's a good combination. its one example where conflict was averted. it was all going to come to a head where latino interests were going to conflict in california, illinois and other parts of the country at the local level.

finally going to consider. disagreements, but at the end of the day, that conflict was not there. -- as it leadership visited 50 cities, there were african-american with me. charlotte, n.c., week that people back because of our collaboration. tois very important highlight the many moments in which we collaborating very closely and i think it is going to be critical to get comprehensive immigration reform

because there is no more important constituent groups. >> part of what makes this conversation so important is because there is a new generation coming on. i keep mentioning for those watching on c-span that this is one of two panels that make up latina nation. i'm glad to be moderating this conversation, but there's another panel and on that panel, there are eight other brilliant thinkers in the latino communities. i'm glad that we found her. the university help me find the right person. there happens to be a latina here who is the student representative on the board of trustees for this institution. .he will be on the second panel we're going to get her

perspective and see how they trusteeo her and a member here. more broadly speaking, you can't have this conversation the on the numbers. full 25% at our u.s. schools are latino. conversation one has to have it. give us a sense of where we are headed in the coming years on the issue of education. about is fore talk naught if you cannot get access to an equal, high-quality education. >> i am encouraged in part by the fact that the dreamers have been engaged in activism. this is not just the most successful immigrants rights movement, it's the most vibrant youth movement in about 40 years.

there is a real opportunity to take that energy and have expanded into education access and closing the education gap. looking at this from the perspective of the nation will not successfully addressed the education that, a kindergarten through 12th grade, if we don't address that issue, this country will not thrive in the future. we have no choice but to ensure our future work force is skills -- is skilled and educated to compete. we have to pay attention to african-american latino students who are not receiving the same education as their white peers. we see this across the country. fourth, fifth, sixth lawsuit against the texas school system just occurred because of these

disparities and financing that makes real differences and the experience of latino and african-american students in certain school district vs. more wealthy school districts. lawsuitsr, five, six that were successful, there is still work to be done. a suit just came out against a student -- that concluded there was an adequate investment, particularly in english language learners. you still see those disparities and regrettably, we don't have a system for solving the education gap that we need. as a lifelong civil rights believer, my entire profession has been devoted to that. if litigation is germane

accountability mechanism, you are going to fail. that's the main way to address those issues. law we need is a federal that focuses on the education gap. , yet ioleheartedly agree have to bring you back to reality, which is the comparison we have made between the struggle of latino community verses the civil rights era. those advantages -- those advances in legislation were brought on by litigation. i think litigation is critically important, but we have to use the organizing to arrive at a policy solution that is there in policy and practice. 50 state systems and thousands of local systems that are

addressed in the education gap issues. i'm not asking is because of your politics. i'm asking is because you're a businessman and want to get inside your business head and explain something to me that i maybe don't get. society doesn't find a way to educate this population, and our society becomes ever more dumbed down, the country suffers. at the not looking standpoint of the immigrant. what happens to us is if we don't figure the problem al, i don't understand why business tends not to understand it. if a nanny our kids and park are cars and cook our food -- i'm not putting everybody in that,

but that is how they get past often in this debate. they're good enough for that they're not good enough to be educated or have access to health care. i've never understood how business is schizophrenic about that. on one hand, they benefit from the labor but on the other hand, it seems hypocritical to me. i don't understand why business does not get such a simple equation often times. >> i think business does get it. polled business executives, one of the things they will tell you to this day of how hard it is to find qualified people to work for this company. where we live in los angeles, kids in highof the school system are latinos.

25% of the u.s. population will be latino. surveys aboutof what happens when we fail at that. abouteady talked incarceration, but we also talk about lost wages, lost productivity, a drag on all parts of society. some of the walls that have been passed are fantastic but it's more than that. this is a partnership that goes all throughout our society. in the latino community, we need to emphasize education more than we do it. there are other communities that do that. we need to be more creative and innovative. whether it's a charter school

for a different way of learning or using technology better, the same system that educated guess and our parents is not going to get it done in the future. this is a much bigger problem. business understands that, but business also feels stymied bellies are introducing these ideas, we say no because this special interest for this union will like it. an issuehink it resources. >> i'm down to my last few minutes and i want to give everybody a had a. it has to be concise and assisting. the same question for everybody. i'm curious as we sit in this i had soion today,

much fun being moderator for a live. growth arend the important to me. in these forums, i'm a student of history and want to roll with take back a few years from now to see what you said to me in 2013, let your greatest hope was and your greatest fear is going toward. we all have hope and am curious what your greatest fear is and your greatest hope is as we move forward into this century. , i'mi get it this way going to get to your syllabus.

these are the closing of. >> my greatest hope is i don't even know i can put my finger on the fear. what i expect and i am hopeful this is the way it will be for the latino community is that we're going to show what we saw in the last election is just the tip of the iceberg. my greatest hope is that we are going to find a way to truly engaged by solving immigration and bringing people out of the shadows to own their voices without any fear and to get them into a place where people know what they are talking about and what they know and what they have experienced.

i think the filipino experience will increase that significantly. and therms of fear dysfunctional have our political system, we can't even agree on 80% and we don't get solutions. i hope we can outgrow that. i greatest hope is latinos will achieve their rightful place in society and the issues we're talking about become afterthoughts. african community has to have an african-american president, that has been checked off the list and it has become normal that she could have someone that can govern the most powerful country in the world. we are going to get there. i also want to commend you for doing this. it gives me a lot of optimism going forward.

latinoreatest hope is politics becomes more and more empowered to fix this country. eraill help engender a new of prosperity and hope for all the population. my greatest fear is it will be no better than the ones that broke the system. greatest fear is the supreme court and others will make a decision that will suppress the latino growth. that includes decisions about the voting rights act and about the arizona voter registration. but we will see more efforts to suppress the vote. my greatest hope is we will overcome that with great

struggle. the lessons are reinforced and the only integrated in policymakers thinking and that is about far, good policies for the dead nation that includes a growing latino population and an outgrowth is solving the education gap from prekindergarten to higher education. my greatest -- >> my greatest hope is that america is ready to embrace us and allow us to be fully integrated with them as their brothers and sisters as we so much want them to be. just like my daughter and my wife, everybody who is protected by theaw .. can come out into the light of day. latinos turned --

500,000 latinos turn 18 every year and over the next 20 years, it will go up to 900,000 a year. millions and millions of young of latinos. are we ready to educate them and prepare them to take the rain? how are we going to acquit them with the knowledge and talent to guide our nation into the next century? greatest short-term fear is that immigration reform doesn't pass and it continues to be a wedge used by both sides pitted against each other for political gain for themselves and it will be very demoralizing for our community and stop the progress on some any other issue ed had. he my greatest hope is this onew

country becomes one where equality and that questions that are often asked of politicians who are running where do you stand on gay marriage, immigration w reform, would you going to do about equal pay forg women? equal educational opportunities for minorities? my hope is those questions become irrelevant.ion. th given e factst hope and fear lies in the next generation and thatofes should not be surprising since i am ats in mys professor but my classes are eng full of energy, optimistic themh and ready to take charge. chae h i say that you will take charge. and by the way the dreamers i have are so incredible.

the obvious limbo statusver. that makes it so political but it that is where it, latino, spills over but the students that i have the latinothey' latino, black and white look at race very differently growing up in a whole. different world.hat they that makes me optimistic.re andt the fear is they will forget, e how they got here or why to thie they got here with the civil. rights struggle. that is the fear i have they will forget those lessons inurey that is my problem my duty to make sure they don'tand yours forget. >> my reading list? i can give you a short one but two classic works both coming out in the 1940's then called north from mexico and has been reprinted. then another book titled in

defense of my people came out of 1944 it is a collection of affidavits from latino soldiersthe affidav fighting in world war ii and cnt they had to do with the fact foh they could not going toamazing restaurants, hotels, cafes restaurants, hotels, cafes, the that is an amazing collection. north of mexico and defense of my people. >> nicely done. my hope is the climate of fear that was created into arizona and terriblein repressive legislation hasds taught america never to do to ii this again. is itill no aat leads to immigrationlet me reform and the greatest fear

is that will not happen. >> with this audience for gathered here to show yourthis p love and appreciation with every member of the panel today of their brilliance and courage and commitment to character man i know youter can do betterth than that. [cheers and applause] ovanor conderful conversation. let me ask you and also please thank and c-span2 four covering this. [applause] of th and i want to say keogh forone coming out as a part of his conversation with this is one attitude that make up latino nation beyond the be numbers. i am tapis smiley and it has m

been my honor to be the moderator of this panel. we appreciate you coming. keeps the peace. [applause]

[applause] i thank you. [applause] >> thank you so much for joining us this afternoon and thank-you to this great university for hosting us today as everyone knows at this point* the hispanic

population of the united states has become not only an important economic component but increasingly never more important part of the political landscape. the objective today is to have a conversation to hear out from a distinguished panel that we will meet in just a moment with different points of view to go deep into some of these issues that may be don't get the deepest coverage possible with the sound bites on television but perhaps if not to the answer to an or begin the debate where we could or even

misinformation. we will ask a question and let everyone talk about that then we will open and up to have a conversation as if the cameras were not here but we want everyone to participate so i want to hear your response is when you feel is appropriate. first was but a framework around what we will do today. as americans we constantly think about tomorrow but i want to challenge us to think about the next 100 years as reno the united states of america is now going through a transition. not just tomography but in terms of our position in the world. the question becomes how do we prepare ourselves as a country to be a leading nation or in the leading nation over the next 100

years? to answer that question, it is a big question, we have to start we need to move beyond that get no existence now more of the mainstream presence and conversation. as tavis said before we will touch upon immigration but there so many other topics that are important to the

american community in general so we will be very broad and we will invite the panel if you feel there are topics, please chime in to have a real conversation. let's start with prospective. let's start with your long history of activism in bringing in the image of latinos, as you look through your career over the last two or three years would have been some of the challenges or successes in how latinos are perceived in the united states? >> i believe the greatest that we have faced is related to the inability of society as a whole to understand the meaning and

the fact that beginning nearly 40 years ago the nature of migration together with the demographic trend with the fact that latinos are the minority and the one growing but it has not given us the advisement for what this means. and as mentioned before said demonization and this is one of the greatest challenges we could face. and particularly the of mexican but mostly latinos in general have a threat to society as opposed to seeing what he knows for what we are as a great opportunity and a great asset to the nation but that has not

necessarily been part of the narrative. now on the positive side it is important to find out that many people have come to understand the significance of latinos in our country are beginning to show that we need to overcome the negative narratives. i will give you one example because of the surgeon congressman from alaska who prefers -- refers to the people as wetbacks it is derogatory. >> just so everybody knows he was referring as the member of congress of alaska and to be held accountable for this statement but what is more important to understand is a lot of

people use the terminology illegal immigrant or illegal to refer to people without a visa but in reality the use of that term is simply incorrect. associated press made an important decision is made precisely with the use of these two terms but from my point* of view over the last 30 years this is great news and we ought to celebrate because for us to do anything we can to take away everything poisoning the environment and the water to have a conversation about latinos in what we represent now and in the future not just from what we have done so far but embrace the fact we are by far for the

country. >> i want to touch upon the media image but let me switch choose stephanie sanchez who is a student here and obviously you have a perspective that is different because you read it from placing your life. what is your sense? what is both positive and negative of that image if he were to change that? >> e merging with a culture of our campus but i on the other hand, have not found that to be a challenge data

all. i have been over the embrace, doors open and people take me in without a sense of judgment of the light and warm i backgrounder will link wage i speaker were my family came from. it really depends on the population it had of the culture around you but as far as the latino population i feel cover younker degeneration is adapting to a society so that younger generation i feel this is not much of the negative stereotypes. >> university in particular? >> in the city of chicago i feel we are adapting to more of the cultural norms of power generation. it has allowed more of an

open-minded perspective from everyone around us. >> using sap function there is polling data that shows opinions on social issues among americans younker than 30 years old verses those older than 50? is that part of the same dynamic a use driven openness to change and diversity? >> absolutely. i feel young hispanics and latinos our family members, parents, relatives from our native country have a perspective and they're not so open to many social changes that we see now but i feel they have been breaking those barriers and the reason may have been more except it within other

communities. >> and we just talked a little before the program started. over 30 years you have seen big shift with the power from the illinois but broadly across society. how do you see our image devolving or the great changes and the negative ones? >> it is an exciting time in the country to the point* where we come on the heels of the presidential election, the community was almost recognized as an important player in the country to influence or someone who has to be reckoned with and has to be accounted into the future what this country will be or what america will be. and what latinos bring to

the country is their experience and identity that includes a multicultural, multiracial experience that is a tremendous tax on negative asset but those experiences of the feeling that we represent the native american people who have lived here for a millennia for the people that came here as african slaves from the caribbean or other parts as well as the immigrant experience, it gives us a lot of connections to the country as we participate in the discussion of the political contest of the country between political parties of the goals of the country and in our experience we have stories that we share with

larger america about hard work and sacrifice and love for families, it and love for community that contributes have we build community at local levels and how we connect to other communities like the african-american community, the asian community and our children intermarry into groups that this year for many years have also been the product of migration. i would like to think we have the potential to become a bridge builders to help push the country for word in a good direction with good values to back that up and we can help to make the country a little better

while every reflect on our own paradox as americans like to boast how we are proud of our indigenous past but at the same time we made fun of, felt insecure, articulated stereotypes so our own contradictions are good things because it helps other people in america be able to come forth to say i used to have that type of the mindset and think that way of other people in the hopes to build good communities so that helps to elevate the debate of the future of the country as it becomes more diverse. >> complete optimistic? >> i am right about the global changes have we

cannot rely on these security previous generations have had that will cost more a significant debate about where we move forward economically with the form policy will be in the role and things of that manner. >> i know you have an amazing personal story and if i may say from the field to the pinnacle. we're both from l.a. and you are more part -- powerful than politicians by far in to have seen a tremendous shift what is what you have seen of your own experience? >> i have always been positive not just a latinas coming here as immigrants from latin america but the

contribution we give to the economy that is no different for the past generations coming from other parts of the world to give to the nation. there are two sides to that to make an enormous contribution and we always have. the southwest was mexico we have always been a part of growing this economy. past generations have done that with other parts of the world and unfortunately the down side is that has not been a knowledge or respected the way it should have been in many times where they were forced to come to this country like the black slaves or the irish cover the italian, chinese, we have a

great contribution as working people and boosting the creation of a middle-class. my hope is especially now with the opportunity around immigration reform that we fix our laws in such a way that it does give recognition to the hard work of millions of men and women to this nation and that will boost the economy to create a stronger middle-class. we have our downside the first and foremost, we work hard to raise family to have a good education than the next generation could be better off.

>> why is that contribution not widely seen? do we just forget about immigrants? that the chinese built the transcontinental railroad buddies think it is the same dynamic of collective amnesia or something that suppresses the memory or changes the reality? >> so the country and the economic system tried to make the most out of cheap labor, that is something we always tried to create that was a whole point* behind the chinese immigrants being allowed to come so we fill the need for cheap labor and it should not be that way they should be able to be in this country to have a good standard of living.

unfortunately it is that demand that the capitalist system here in this country is looking to have land race comes into it because we are pitted against each other whether from the previous generation with thinking who are they and it is unfortunate part of our history that we are pitted against each other when all anybody wants is a good job with the family to raise kids to have a healthy neighborhood and futures. >> i grew up in connecticut in the '70s were a tight americans were treated as second-class citizens not all fully americans but you are the texan here today

that is almost a country unto itself. >> we were. [laughter] but i am learning more and more about texas and it does have a culture of its own. have reduced the the devil addition in taxes in particular? >> when i was growing up david crockett was the good guy and texas was the bad guy but it streusel whole evolution we had to do with the mexicans signs no gold diggers allowed the swimming pool where i was that we could always among wednesday's because that is the day it was cleaned. it was mexican day. >> when? >> the '60s.

not that long ago i was the first latino elected to city council because we have to fight and march and file suits to get those certain lawsuits and we have the chicano civil rights movement to open doors and now we're at a threshold in texas which is the majority minority state where we will elective or first latino governor rarity have a dynamic mayor so that is created but they are created across the country and i think diversity that president or lead to a president has already been born in the public school in will be elected to transform america just like barack obama or jfk and other immigrant presidents have done in the past. >> you have a great mixture

of key bin, mexican the devils in the grant or double immigration. [laughter] how do you see from your perspective, are you optimistic it will get better rather than worse? >> yes. i grew up in miami with a huge immigrant population and i joke feel anything my parents had in common was they had to kids. [laughter] because there are so many differences is the work across the country we should never paul hispanics in one box but after the states of mexican-american in arizona from texas but i am very

optimistic and how much more hispanics have become involved. in running campaigns to impact how those candidates and elected officials talk to the community. you the first hispanic are reached director? >> no. the rnc is not big now reached george of the bush when he was chairman of the republican party in the '70s began the hispanic assembly but not to get into a but i am a civil history stork. [laughter] to become a separatist the party has always recognized the need but the biggest takeaway we took from this past election there is

always a plan of the strategies of what we need to do there is a must in due attitude and a bipartisan effort to get things done not only on immigration but it is more important is engagement to get a seat at the table to make sure hispanics are part of policy discussions across the board. . .